Vase Thrifted At Goodwill For $4 Sells At Auction For Over $100K
I love stories like this one. Jessica Vincent has been shopping at thrift stores, yard sales, and flea markets since she was a child and appears to have an eye for finding treasure among the so-called junk. On a June 2023 visit to a Goodwill store in Richmond, Virginia, she saw something that caught her attention. It was an elegant glass vase with red and green brush strokes that she bought for $3.99. Given the colors, maybe Vincent thought it would be a nice decorative piece for the Christmas season. Or perhaps she knew it was worth a lot more than 4 bucks.
Vincent could see that the vase had markings indicating that it was Italian Murano glass. After sharing photos of the vase with a glassware group on social media, she learned that it was a rare piece designed by architect Carlo Scarpa in 1942. Produced by the famed glassworks company Venini, the vase is part of Scarpa’s “Pennellate” series. Due to the complexity of manufacturing, very few were ever produced. According to The New York Times, Vincent thought it might be worth $1,000 or $2,000. She was just a bit off.
Vincent’s Very Valuable Vase
After the Wright Auction House in New York City confirmed the vase’s authenticity, it was listed for sale with an estimated value between $30- and $50-thousand. The vase ended up bringing in more than double the initial estimate, selling for $107-thousand to an “esteemed collector.” After the auction house took its cut, Vincent walked away with more than $83-thousand! Jessica Vincent says she enjoyed having found and briefly owning the piece, but needed money more than the vase. She also thought it would be better appreciated in the art world.
As soon as the auction was over, Vincent was back out thrifting, looking for the next hidden treasure that catches her eye. “It’s just something I will always do,” she told CNN, “It’s the thrill of the hunt.” Have you ever found anything at a garage sale or second-hand shop that was worth far more than its price tag indicated?
Jessica Vincent bought a vase at a Virginia thrift store in June for $3.99. The vase — which turned out to be part of a series that Carlo Scarpa, a renowned Italian architect, designed in the 1940s — just sold at auction for $107,100. https://t.co/GLULZAPFp9
— The New York Times (@nytimes) December 18, 2023
